Buddha said: "I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of
dust motes. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and
pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see
myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest
lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the
world to be the illusion of magicians. I discern the highest conception of
emancipation as a golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the
illuminated ones as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I see meditation as a
pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime. I look upon the
judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the
rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons."